Bottle carrier



Sept. 1, 1942. A". A. GORDON BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 26, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLECARRIER Allen A. Gordon, Baltimore, Md.

Application December 26, 1940, Serial No. 371,735

1 Claim.

This invention relates to bottle carriers and more particularly tobottle carriers of the type adapted to receive the bottles and then bepacked for transportation to the vendor in the usual cases.

More particularly still this invention relates to bottle carriers of thetype stamped from a unitary blank and adapted to be shipped to thebottler in assembled but flattened condition.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novelbottle carrier of the type adapted to be stamped from a unitary blank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel bottlecarrier which may be assembled and then sent to the bottler in flattenedcondition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel bottlecarrier which may be readily assembled into bottle carrying conditionfrom its flattened condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel bottlecarrier in which the partition forming elements interlock when thecarrier is in bottle carrying condition to maintain the carrier incarrying condition.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide anovel bottle carrier which is cheap to manufacture, easy to assemble,rapid to load, which affords the maximum protection for the bottle andthe greatest facility and ease for carrying.

Illustrative embodiments'of the present invention are shown in theaccompanying drawings and described hereafter for the purposes ofillustration only. These embodiments are not to be taken as a limitationof the present invention.

To determine the scope of this invention reference should be had to theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view of an illustrative embodiment of the present inventionin assembled condition with th bottles in place;

Fig, 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. l on the line2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 on the line33;

Fig. 4 is a view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in flattened condition;

Fig. 5 is a view of the blank from which the novel bottle carrier ofFig. 1 is formed;

Fig. 6 is a view of a blank from which another embodiment of the novelbottle carrier of the present invention is formed; and

Fig. 7 is a view of the novel embodiment of the present invention ofFig, 6 in flattened condiion.

In the several figures, in which like reference characters indicatsimilar parts, and with particular reference to Fig. 5, the novel bottlecarrier of the present invention is formed from a single blank havingside forming portions Ill provided with upstanding carrier supportingelements II and separated from end portions l2 by fold lines It. Endportions l2 are provided with medial fold lines It and one end portionI2 i provided with a suitable flap I5 designed to engage the oppositeside portion I I when the carton is assembled and to be glued orotherwise suitably secured thereto. Depending from side portions III arebottom forming portions 18 separated therefrom by fold lines I I. Formedcontinuous with bottom forming portion l6 are center partition formingportions l8 separated therefrom by fold lines l9. Partition formingportions l8 are provided with locking slots 20 to receive and lock inplace suitable partition forming elements as will more fully appearhereafter.

Formed integrally with end forming portions I2 ar bottom reinforcingportions 2| separated therefrom by fold lines 22. Formed continuous withbottom reinforcing portions 2| are partition forming portions 23separated therefrom by fold lines 24 and provided with medial fold lines25. Bottom reinforcing portions 2| and partition forming portions 23 aresuitably slotted at 26.

Side forming portions III are provided with suitable apertures 21 forpurposes which will hereafter appear.

The blank to form the novel bottle carrier of the present inventionshown in Fig. 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. 5 save that apertures21 are provided in the center partition forming portion l8 and in onebottom forming portion l6 instead of in side forming portions l0. Alsoin place of one partition forming portion l8 a suitable tab 28 isprovided to be secured to the opposite bottom forming portion "5 whenthe carrier is in assembled condition.

To assemble the embodiment of the novel bottle carrier of the presentinvention as shown in Fig. 5, the blank is folded along the fold linesiii to bring the side walls Ill into parallel relationship spaced apartby end walls l2. Tab I5 is then glued or otherwise suitably secured tothe adjacent part of side portion l0. Thereafter bottom reinforcingportions 2| and partition forming portions 23 are folded inwardly alongfold lines 22 to lie upon the inner surfaces of the end portions l2.Bottom forming portions l6,

are then stapled or otherwise suitably secured together at their tops,as at 29, and secured medially through the apertures 21 by staples orother suitable fastenings, as at 88. Carrying cords 8| are then stapledor otherwise suitably secured to the upstanding portions II a at 3|,

, upstanding portions II being folded over along the fold line 32 toprovide a reinforcement before ncuring the carrying cords II.

The novel bottle carrier of the present invention as shown in Fig. 6 isplaced in assembled condition by folding side forming portion Ill intoparallel relationship, spaced apart by end portions I2 and tab I issuitably secured to the opposite side forming portion I8. Bottomreinforcing portions 2| and partition forming portions 23 are thenfolded inwardly along fold lines 22 to lie along the inner surfaces ofend forming portions I2. Center partition forming portion I8 is thenfolded inwardly along fold line I9. 'I he carrier is then flattened tothe condition shown in Fig. 7 and the tab 28 is suitably secured to theopposite bottom forming portion I8 by the insertion of staples or othersuitable fastenings through the apertures 21. Suitable carrying cards 3|may then be secured to upstanding portions II, reinforced if desired,all as described with reference to Fig. 5.

When it is desired to place bottles in the embodiment of the bottlecarrier of Fig. 5, the flattened carrier is held with the centerpartition forming portions I8 pointing upwardly and the end formingportions I2 are pressed toward each other and intoparallel relationship.This separates the side forming portions IIi while retaining them inparallel relationship. The partition forming portions 23 and bottomreinforcing portions 2| are then pressed inwardly and downwardly foldinginto right-angled relationship along the fold lines 24 and the slots 28embrace the adjacent portions of the center partition forming portionsI8 and pass downwardly into the slots 28 thereby locking themselves andthe container in expanded bottl carrying condition. The bottles may thenbe inserted in the spaces formed between the center partition, thepartition forming members 23, the side walls I8 and the end walls I2.

When it is desired to place bottles in the embodiment of the novelbottle carrier of Fig. 6,

the carrier in flattened condition is held with the carrying cords 3|pointing upwardly and the end forming portions I2 are pressed towardeach other and into parallel relationship. This separates the sideforming portions III while retaining them in parallel relationship. Thisalso forces the center partition forming portion I8 upwardly into themiddle of the carrier and springs the bottom forming portions Ii intoright-angled relationship with the side forming portion I0. Thepartition forming portions 28 and the bottom reinforcing portions 2| arethen forced inwardly and downwardly, folding into rightangledrelationship along the fold lines 24 the slots 28 embracing the centerpartition forming portion I8 and sliding downwardly into the slots 28 tolock the partition forming portions 28 in place with respect to thecenter partition forming portion II and to lock the bottle carrier inassembled bottle carryins condition. Thereafter the bottles may beinserted as-described with reference to Fig. 5.

A suitable number of these carriers may now be placed in a case andshipped to the vendor. If desired cord carrying means 8| instead ofbeing secured to portions ll of side portions Il may be secured to thecenter partition forming portions I8. In this case cord carrying means8| must be so arranged as not to interfere with the infolding bottomreinforcing portions 2| and partition forming portions 23 or the lockingof slots 26 with slots 28. To this end cord carrying means 3| may besecured to the middle third of center partition forming portions II butmay be elsewhere secured if practicable.

It will now be apparent that the present invention provides a novelbottle carrier which may be formed from a single blank; which is cheapto manufacture; durable; which may be shipped in flattened condition;which may be readily assembled into bottle carrying condition; which islocked in bottle carrying condition when so assembled; which aifords amaximum protection for the bottles in the carrier and one which may bereadily loaded and transported.

Modifications or changes to the above described illustrative embodimentof the present invention may now be suggested without departing from theinventive concept of the present invention. To determine the scope ofthe present invention reference should be had to the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A container provided with interior right angularly disposed partitionsand'adapted to be collapsed to flat form with the partitions within thecollapsed walls, said container including side walls and end wallsformed in a one piece structure with fold lines between said Walls aflap at one end of said structure permanently connected to the wall atthe opposite end of said structure to complete an enclosure constitutedby said four lateral walls, said side walls having tabs bent toward eachother and then upwardly to provide a bottom and a partition between theend walls. said partition having locking slots, said end walls alsohaving tabs provided with locking slots and bent toward each other andthen upwardly to engage saidbottom wall and form partition between saidside walls when said last named locking slots are engaged with saidslots in said first named partition, each of said end walls having afold line on its inner face whereby said end walls may be foldedoutwardly with the two leaves of each end wall lying in the planes ofthe side walls and the tab on each end wall being provided with acorresponding fold line whereby each end wall tab when disconnected fromsaid side wall tabs may be folded away from the bot-' tom wall andoutwardly against its corresponding end wall and then inwardly foldedbetween the leaves of its end wall, said side wall tabs being foldableagainst said side walls into the plane of and intermediate the leaves ofthe end wall tabs when the container is collapsed.

ALLEN A. GORDON.

